The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 14, 2011
Filed:
Apr. 30, 2007
Angel Sanjurjo, San Jose, CA (US);
Kai-hung Lau, Cupertino, CA (US);
Xiaobing Xie, Foster City, CA (US);
Anoop Nagar, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Angel Sanjurjo, San Jose, CA (US);
Kai-Hung Lau, Cupertino, CA (US);
Xiaobing Xie, Foster City, CA (US);
Anoop Nagar, Palo Alto, CA (US);
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
Aspects of the invention include methods for producing purified semiconductor or metallic materials. In one embodiment, the methods include admixing a particulate composition of a material, for instance, a metal, with a metal halide to produce a metal-metal halide admixture. The admixture is then heated to a temperature that is above the material's melting point in a container that is chemically and physically stable at that temperature. The molten admixture is allowed to segregate into a lower of the material and an layer of the metal halide and cooled. The metal halide is then separated from the material and a purified semiconductor or metallic material is thereby produced. Also provided are purified material crystals, shaped ingots and/or taper, sheet, or ribbons produced by such methods, as well as the silicon chips and solar panels in which such products are employed.